Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-27

much as his W0fub, anu lea'inb suo Jul
lor we crept silently thither. When we
were closeted together he stood facing
mo and began speaking in breathless
haste. AZ did you good turn the
other day, Mr.. Lynton help me now.
| am n Carlist-a spy A man sent here
TO try the fidelity Of the troops. OF late
have been suspected. Now l am sure
/ am betrayed. The punishment Is
death In few minutes they Will be
here"
"But what-what can ! do for you "
I exclaimed in horror. No one seeing
the man could doubt his danger, or at
least his belief in it. "Why do you not
escape while there is time ?" cried i'm
patiently. an,
"Time There is no time !" he an
swered with an oath OF despair. 1.-THE
bouse is watched. l dare not leave it.
Bnt YOU can do something for me. You
can give me your passport and change
rooms with me. We are much alike.
Take nv name for few hours-nay. a
few minutes. 1t will save my life-my
life, sir And for you-you know our
Minister Yes? Then you will be in
no danger"
"Bnt." said family. the mant dis
tress was terrible to witness, and 1t all
came SO abruptly upon me-"the Spain
ish police are sometimes hasty, and"
He flinched as if l had struck him. A
fresh fit of trembling seized him. He
turned from me with curse and flung
himself face downward on the bed.
I had hesitated before. 1 am not a
bold man, and had heard strange tales
of summary justice done by the police.
But here the risk seemed so little the
mans condition was so pitiable.
"Get up" l said harshly, after
brief fight with myself. 81 will save
you if / can. You are an Englishman
when all is said and done. But let us
lose no time. You know best what must
be done"
He sprang to his feet. At once he had
all his wits about him. In n couple of
minutes l had taken possession of his
room, he of mine. With feyerish express
sions of gratitude he pocketed the pass
port | gave him. He dressed me in his
long ulster and deer.stalker hat; in
which / have no doubt that | was like
enough TO him to pass for him in Spanish
eyes. And all this he did with wonder
full method, as if he had thought out the
details before. 1t crossed my mind once
that he had His last step was to draw
from his mattress two long rolls neatly
covered with canvas. "They are pa
pers," he said, pausing to listen, and
looking doubtfully at them the while.
"I6sts of men. And mems lives they
will cost if they are found, he added,
with excitement. "Yet dare not take
them with me. ] dare not l shall get
away by your help, but | shall be
stopped more than once, and IL these are
found on me they will make it all Of no
use :"
He was so reluctant, so sincerely re-
luctant. as L could see, to leave the pa
pers, despite the risk he would run ii he
took them yes, and so very nearly
ready TO run that risk, that / felt for the
first time a sense of real sympathy with
him. "Can we not hide them some
where?" ] suggested.
ono !"'he answered bitterly; "they
will leave no stone unturned here" And
with that he thrust the papers back into
the mattress-my mattress now.
"Why do you not destroy them?" l
asked.
"There is no time" he answered sui
lenly. Then, moved by the force Of
habit, I think, he sat down on the bed
precisely over them.
wondered At his answer first, then
at another thing. "Why do they not
come 2" said querulously. care you
sure that they intend to come at all
that YOU have not made fool of me for
nothing"
His face grew bright a moment and
then fell again. " No, he replied they
set watch on this house as soon rs they
came into the town. and are only waiting
now until time when they may be sure
that l am at home. That is ALL" 1
found out afterward that he was per-
fectly right in this.
So we sat in dreary expectation, wait
ing in that little whitewashed room for
the clang of musket-butts and tramp OF
feet that should tell us the crisis was Mt
hand. The candle burned dimly, the
air was heavy with the pungent odor
that rose from the brasero. My eye fell
upon his empty easel, and the sight car
ried me back to time-days before as
il seemed instead of hours-when | had
still regarded him in the light of pro-
blem to be solved. "And are you an
artist ?" I asked abruptly. 1 was glad
to break the silence.
"Oh, yes he said withapathy, 81
paint little"
"And that Spagnoletto-the StyChris-
topher? Is it really an original ?"
at is the original. You are right, "
he replied. at was the gift OF great
monastery to the cause"
T whistled. al think tins pity" 1
said, with a jealous eye to the mattress
on which he was sitting. The fancy
that that priceless Ribera carelessly
rolled up might be receiving with each
instant some irremediable hurt was a
dreadful thing to have on ones mind.
When my travelling clock in the next
room tinkled nine times, | could bear it
no longer. LODh leIc L odiu, lloihS,
Il am going out. If you are right, L
shall be arrested, and there will be an
end of it. If not, l shall come back
and there will be an end of this foolery.
Jock lie there good dog J." l added,
pointing to the bed. And I strobe to
the door. OF course was still disguised
in Clients ulster and cap.
He leaped up and caught me by the
arm. I" Por Dois he cried, clinging
to me. "You are going to betray me
You are English, and you can give me
up"
"Man alive answered furiously.
The fellows distrIst showed the black
spot in him so plainly "If / wish to
betray you / need only stay here and
tell the civil guards who you are"
He shrank back at that ; suppose he
saw its truth and / went out, passing
down the gallery and stairs to the outer
door. AS | opened this and, meeting
the wind, stepped into the darkness OF
the entrance before which the embers OF
a fire still glowed family, l confess that
felt nervous-very nervous. With
each step that | took, | looked for q